Global Entry: Why you should get it, what it does and how long it takes for approval

Guys, I’m kinda freaking out a little bit. My flight to Europe leaves in exactly two weeks, and I feel like I’m not even close to being ready.

OK, that’s a lie. I bought a larger-than-necessary backpack (fight me, Ryanair), dug my outlet converters out from underneath my bed… and was approved for the U.S. Customs and Border Control’s Global Entry program! (Woo!)

I’d never really considered Global Entry before, but after my passport was stolen during a trip in and out of Heathrow a few years ago, a friend suggested I look into it to expedite the customs process. I’m now stuck with a passport marked “-THIS PASSPORT IS A REPLACEMENT FOR A STOLEN PASSPORT-” for the next literal decade, and my friend — who has the same problem — said Global Entry approval made entering the U.S. a lot easier for him since he hasn’t once been pulled aside for “additional questioning” since joining the program.

I’d also been on the fence about TSA PreCheck since I’ve started flying enough over the past few years to consider it, and since PreCheck is $85 and Global Entry is $100, I figured the extra $15 for the peace of mind when traveling with my replacement passport was totally worth it — especially since I’m planning to go overseas more than once during the five-year validity of the program.

Plus, considering I’m only bringing a backpack (gulp) to Europe in two weeks, it’ll be SO nice to not have to unpack my laptop/ liquids/ etc. for security since I don’t have a personal item I can just slide them in and out of.

Anyway, a coworker was asking me about the program, so I figured I’d talk a little bit about my experience with it!

So, for starters, the process was INCREDIBLY fast. Like, nine days start-to-finish. The longest part of it was waiting for my in-person interview, since I had to wait for a day I was off work! I was shocked because I honestly figured it would take a few weeks to a month, and I wouldn’t be able to use it until this summer, but nope! I can use it for allll my flights (Houston, Milan and Boston — the quarter-life crisis is real, guys) within the next two months.

Here’s what the application process is like:

1. Create a Trusted Traveler Program account. Make sure you remember your password and/ or write down the entry key you get. It’s the only way to get back into your account after you get locked out!
2. Fill out the required paperwork. You’ll need your passport, valid ID and list of former addresses and employers at the ready in order to do this. Filling out the paperwork took me about 20 minutes start-to-finish, and then I was taken to a separate payment screen to pay the $100 fee to do so. (TIP: some credit cards will actually reimburse you for the $100 fee! Check online to see if yours does.)
3. Wait for your conditional approval email. Mine came in about two days. Once you get that email, you can log in to your TTP account to schedule an in-person interview. In Chicago, there are two locations you can interview — at O’Hare, or at a downtown building. O’Hare had the soonest availability, so I went with that. I had an appointment three days after I received my conditional approval email.
4. Arrive at your interview with your passport and ID. When you get your conditional approval, it’ll tell you to print out and bring with you a copy of the conditional approval letter. I did not do that. (I tried, but my printer ran out of ink, and then CVS politely told me they don’t print letters, only photos, and I was panicking and late and it ended up being not a big deal.) I arrived at my interview exactly at the time it was scheduled for and waited for 10 minutes before I was called back for my interview. I gave my fingerprints, had my photo taken, answered a few questions about my job and travel history and was given some more information about the program. I was issued a Known Traveler Number (this is the number that is included in the conditional approval letter, and is also known as a PASS ID) and was sent out the door five minutes later.
5. Wait for your approval. For me, this was INCREDIBLY fast. I was approved before I even left O’Hare! It took literally 10 minutes. Once you’re approved, your Known Traveler Number becomes active, and you can start using it to book flights so you get your TSA PreCheck benefits. You’ll receive a Global Entry card in the mail — which I’m still waiting for — but the card isn’t required in order to use the Global Entry program. You just need the number.

That was it!

So, what are the perks of Global Entry?

1. TSA PreCheck. This was the BIGGEST selling point for me. I don’t travel abroad as often as I do domestically, so all the TSA PreCheck benefits (access to the expedited security line at domestic airports; the ability to keep your shoes, belt and jacket on during screening; no need to remove laptops/ liquids from baggage) sold me on this. If you’re running late for your flight, expedited TSA screening can seriously save your sanity. I’ve flown TSA PreCheck before and once you experience it, you won’t want to go back! (I’m told flying first class is the same… but I’m definitely not rich enough for that one. I definitely believe it, though!)
2. Expedited customs processing. With Global Entry, you can skip the lines and head straight to a kiosk to get all your paperwork in order when you approach customs. I haven’t tried this yet — I will in two weeks! — but my friend Caitlin said she and her husband saved more than an hour using Global Entry during their recent honeymoon.
3. Access to expedited customs processing in foreign countries. It’s a small list right now, but several other countries actually allow you to use your U.S. Global Entry benefits at their customs stations as well. How cool is that?
4. Use of the Mobile Passport app. OK, so you do not need Global Entry to use the Mobile Passport app. Either way, you should be using it! Instead of filling out the customs declaration form (which I always seem to lose while deplaning anyway), you fill out the info on the app, and then present the barcode for scanning upon your return to the U.S. That’s it!

 

Anyway, I’m really stoked that this process was smooth and — most importantly — fast! It’ll be one less thing to worry about when I’m cramming my already-overpacked backpack full of three-ounce bottles of dry shampoo and vodka. (Just kidding… kind of.)

Now, to set up travel alerts with my credit card companies. I forgot to do this once, and it was not fun.

Happy travels!